133 research outputs found
The Indirect Search for Dark Matter with IceCube
We revisit the prospects for IceCube and similar kilometer-scale telescopes
to detect neutrinos produced by the annihilation of weakly interacting massive
dark matter particles (WIMPs) in the Sun. We emphasize that the astrophysics of
the problem is understood; models can be observed or, alternatively, ruled out.
In searching for a WIMP with spin-independent interactions with ordinary
matter, IceCube is only competitive with direct detection experiments if the
WIMP mass is sufficiently large. For spin-dependent interactions IceCube
already has improved the best limits on spin-dependent WIMP cross sections by
two orders of magnitude. This is largely due to the fact that models with
significant spin-dependent couplings to protons are the least constrained and,
at the same time, the most promising because of the efficient capture of WIMPs
in the Sun. We identify models where dark matter particles are beyond the reach
of any planned direct detection experiments while being within reach of
neutrino telescopes. In summary, we find that, even when contemplating recent
direct detection results, neutrino telescopes have the opportunity to play an
important as well as complementary role in the search for particle dark matter.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, published in the New Journal of Physics 11
105019 http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1367-2630/11/10/105019, new version
submitted to correct Abstract in origina
A Dark Matter Candidate from an Extra (Non-Universal) Dimension
We show that a recently constructed five-dimensional (5D) model with
gauge-Higgs unification and explicit Lorentz symmetry breaking in the bulk,
provides a natural dark matter candidate. This is the lightest Kaluza-Klein
particle odd under a certain discrete Z_2 symmetry, which has been introduced
to improve the naturalness of the model, and resembles KK-parity but is less
constraining.
The dark matter candidate is the first KK mode of a 5D gauge field and
electroweak bounds force its mass above the TeV scale. Its pair annihilation
rate is too small to guarantee the correct relic abundance; however
coannihilations with colored particles greatly enhance the effective
annihilation rate, leading to realistic relic densities.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures; v2: fig.1 corrected, one reference and some
comments added, conclusions unchanged. Version to appear in JHE
Low energy antideuterons: shedding light on dark matter
Low energy antideuterons suffer a very low secondary and tertiary
astrophysical background, while they can be abundantly synthesized in dark
matter pair annihilations, therefore providing a privileged indirect dark
matter detection technique. The recent publication of the first upper limit on
the low energy antideuteron flux by the BESS collaboration, a new evaluation of
the standard astrophysical background, and remarkable progresses in the
development of a dedicated experiment, GAPS, motivate a new and accurate
analysis of the antideuteron flux expected in particle dark matter models. To
this extent, we consider here supersymmetric, universal extra-dimensions (UED)
Kaluza-Klein and warped extra-dimensional dark matter models, and assess both
the prospects for antideuteron detection as well as the various related sources
of uncertainties. The GAPS experiment, even in a preliminary balloon-borne
setup, will explore many supersymmetric configurations, and, eventually, in its
final space-borne configuration, will be sensitive to primary antideuterons
over the whole cosmologically allowed UED parameter space, providing a search
technique which is highly complementary with other direct and indirect dark
matter detection experiments.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures; version to appear in JCA
The Role of Antimatter Searches in the Hunt for Supersymmetric Dark Matter
We analyze the antimatter yield of supersymmetric (SUSY) models with large
neutralino annihilation cross sections. We introduce three benchmark scenarios,
respectively featuring bino, wino and higgsino-like lightest neutralinos, and
we study in detail the resulting antimatter spectral features. We carry out a
systematic and transparent comparison between current and future prospects for
direct detection, neutrino telescopes and antimatter searches. We demonstrate
that often, in the models we consider, antimatter searches are the only
detection channel which already constrains the SUSY parameter space.
Particularly large antiprotons fluxes are expected for wino-like lightest
neutralinos, while significant antideuteron fluxes result from resonantly
annihilating binos. We introduce a simple and general recipe which allows to
assess the visibility of a given SUSY model at future antimatter search
facilities. We provide evidence that upcoming space-based experiments, like
PAMELA or AMS, are going to be, in many cases, the unique open road towards
dark matter discovery.Comment: 34 pages, 18 figures; V2: misprints in the labels of fig. 2,3 and 5
correcte
Experimental identification of non-pointlike dark-matter candidates
We show that direct dark matter detection experiments can distinguish between
pointlike and non-pointlike dark-matter candidates. The shape of the nuclear
recoil energy spectrum from pointlike dark-matter particles, e.g., neutralinos,
is determined by the velocity distribution of dark matter in the galactic halo
and by nuclear form factors. In contrast, typical cross sections of
non-pointlike dark matter, for example, Q-balls, have a new form factor, which
decreases rapidly with the recoil energy. Therefore, a signal from
non-pointlike dark matter is expected to peak near the experimental threshold
and to fall off rapidly at higher energies. Although the width of the signal is
practically independent of the dark matter velocity dispersion, its height is
expected to exhibit an annual modulation due to the changes in the dark matter
flux.Comment: 4 pages; minor changes, references adde
A interelação entre saúde e meio ambiente na educação ambiental formal
Discussões em torno da integração da Educação em Saúde e Educação Ambiental tem sido observadas. Essa integração pode ser uma oportunidade se superar o enfoque sanitarista tradicional da educação em saúde, restrita a práticas centradas a regras de higiene pública e individual. De acordo com o objetivo do trabalho foi promovera Educação Ambiental através da união com a Educação em Saúde. O trabalho foi desenvolvido com alunos selecionados, de acordo com a disponibilidade e o consentimento dos pais, participaram de atividades como dinâmicas, vivências, visitas que possibilitaram discussões em cima da problemática da água. Com o desenvolvimento do trabalho, percebeu-se a formação de um clima de integração entre os alunos envolvidos, possibilitando questionamentos sobre o tema proposto, o que levou a um olhar atento sobre a problemática da água e pesquisar para melhor entender o tema, com isso entenderam que a saúde não é apenas prevenção, mas a conquista de uma melhor qualidade de vida. Essa mudança de visão foi percebida pela discussão e pela mudança de atitude que eles mesmos comentaram ao longo do projeto. A partir disso, os alunos sugeriram atividades que pudessem melhorara o entendimento sobre a problemática do desperdício da água e que pudessem divulgar as ideias desenvolvidas nos encontros como a confecção de produtos, como um panfleto, que foi distribuído entre os moradores da comunidade próxima à escola, uma peça de teatro e um jogo cooperativo de tabuleiro onde o aluno percorre o ciclo da água estimulando a reflexão sobre a importância da água e os problemas que a envolvem por meio de perguntas que são respondidas ao longo do caminho. Conclui-se que a Educação Ambiental e a Educação em saúde promovem a mudança de atitude por motivar a reflexão das vivências que são proporcionadas ao longo da aplicação, a partir da investigação e do questionamento que são estimulados
A novel antimatter detector based on X-ray deexcitation of exotic atoms
We propose a novel antiparticle detector. The gaseous antiparticle spectrometer (GAPS) effects particle identification through the characteristic X-rays emitted by antiparticles when they form exotic atoms in gases. GAPS obtains particularly high grasp (effective area-solid angle product) at lower particle energies, where conventional schemes are most limited in their utility. The concept is simple and lightweight, so it can be readily employed on balloon- and space-based missions. An extremely powerful potential application of GAPS is a space-based search for the neutralino through the detection of a neutralino annihilation by-product-the antideuteron. Paradoxically, this space-based search for the neutralino is capable of achieving comparable sensitivity to as yet unrealized third-generation, underground dark matter experiments. And GAPS can obtain this performance in a very modest satellite experiment. GAPS can also provide superior performance in searches for primary antiprotons produced via neutralino annihilation and black hole evaporation and in probing subdominant contributions to the antiproton flux at low energies. In a deep space mission, GAPS will obtain higher sensitivity for a given weight and power than BGO calorimeters
Model Independent Approach to Focus Point Supersymmetry: from Dark Matter to Collider Searches
The focus point region of supersymmetric models is compelling in that it
simultaneously features low fine-tuning, provides a decoupling solution to the
SUSY flavor and CP problems, suppresses proton decay rates and can accommodate
the WMAP measured cold dark matter (DM) relic density through a mixed
bino-higgsino dark matter particle. We present the focus point region in terms
of a weak scale parameterization, which allows for a relatively model
independent compilation of phenomenological constraints and prospects. We
present direct and indirect neutralino dark matter detection rates for two
different halo density profiles, and show that prospects for direct DM
detection and indirect detection via neutrino telescopes such as IceCube and
anti-deuteron searches by GAPS are especially promising. We also present LHC
reach prospects via gluino and squark cascade decay searches, and also via
clean trilepton signatures arising from chargino-neutralino production. Both
methods provide a reach out to m_{\tg}\sim 1.7 TeV. At a TeV-scale linear
e^+e^- collider (LC), the maximal reach is attained in the \tz_1\tz_2 or
\tz_1\tz_3 channels. In the DM allowed region of parameter space, a
\sqrt{s}=0.5 TeV LC has a reach which is comparable to that of the LHC.
However, the reach of a 1 TeV LC extends out to m_{\tg}\sim 3.5 TeV.Comment: 34 pages plus 36 eps figure
Cosmic-ray propagation with DRAGON2: I. numerical solver and astrophysical ingredients
We present version 2 of the DRAGON code designed for computing realistic predictions of the CR densities in the Galaxy. The code numerically solves the interstellar CR transport equation (including inhomogeneous and anisotropic diffusion, either in space and momentum, advective transport and energy losses), under realistic conditions. The new version includes an updated numerical solver and several models for the astrophysical ingredients involved in the transport equation. Improvements in the accuracy of the numerical solution are proved against analytical solutions and in reference diffusion scenarios. The novel features implemented in the code allow to simulate the diverse scenarios proposed to reproduce the most recent measurements of local and diffuse CR fluxes, going beyond the limitations of the homogeneous galactic transport paradigm. To this end, several applications using DRAGON2 are presented as well. This new version facilitates the users to include their own physical models by means of a modular C++ structure. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd and Sissa Medialab srl
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